News

News

'In accepting the Tipperary International Peace Award, I want to sound a call to protect the space needed by civil society. Confident nations are those that see civil society as an indispensable partner in working for the betterment of society.'
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An UNDEF project in Haiti works to advance the rights and influence of rural women in the North and North-East regions of the island. Using new information and communication technologies, the project promotes natural resource management policies and development programmes that uphold the fundamental rights of women and ensures fair opportunities and services.
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The right to free counsel for poor persons accused of a crime is enshrined in law in the West Bank. Yet the government legal aid system is not meeting the need and few lawyers are trained to provide effective criminal defence services. In addition, police, prosecutors, and courts often engage in practices that are unsupported by law and further undermine the rights of the accused.
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For Nepal's Chepang people, an indigenous group living in the Himalaya foothills, poverty and marginalization remain a daily reality. Chepang women are further marginalized by lower literacy rates, lack of access to health services, and scarce economic and political influence in a traditionally male-dominated environment.
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An UNDEF-funded project in Liberia works to empower rural women by providing speedy information and networking opportunities via radio and mobile technology. Implemented by the Liberia Women Media Action Committee, the radio-to-mobile service makes broadcasts of Liberia Women Democracy Radio, LWDR 91.1 FM, available via cellphone and on line.
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Given the large volume of proposals, only applicants who advance to the short list will be contacted by UNDEF. This is expected to be in mid-2015. The project proposals originated from applicants in 143 countries, the vast majority local civil society organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
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Cameroon suffers from a shortage of communication and accountability between local elected leaders and their electorates in planning and implementation. This is why UNDEF funds a project to build participatory governance and including local communities in local decision making processes. more >>

UNDEF funds the first initiative in Ukraine to introduce parliamentary procedures in the daily work of selected local Councils in all 24 regions of the country, including in the East, so as to increase the transparency and accountability of local self-governance. The project is selecting 24 local authorities.
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An UNDEF-funded Bolivia project works to strengthen representation and political participation in regional political decision-making for five urban indigenous groups in Santa Cruz de la Sierra -- Ayoreos, Guaraníes, Chiquitanos, Guarayo and Yuracaré-Mojeños.
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An UNDEF-funded project for penal reform in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia held an essay and presentation competition for law students to increase awareness of alternatives to imprisonment, reflect on challenges of existing criminal justice policy,and...
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